Written by our student Hana Goodkind.
Our 12th-grade class traveled to Sultanpur Lodhi last Monday to join the “Light of Guru Nanak Yatra” in attending the celebration of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th birthday. The event was heavily attended by people from across India and various other countries. We were invited and sponsored, very gracefully, by 3ho and Sikh Dharma International. Sultanpur Lodhi, though a small town, holds great cultural richness in the hearts of all Sikhs. The town is where Guru Nanak took a holy dip for 3 days in Kali Bein (rivulet) and afterward emerged out of the river to dictate the bani of Japji Sahib.
Monday morning, we wrapped our full turbans, grabbed our gatka swords and headed out on our school bus for Sultanpur around 6am. When we arrived we were amazed by the huge site of about 300 white tents. We moved in to our designated tents, filled with laughter and excitement. Later to be joined by our temporary neighbors, the yatra.
Our first mission was the nagar kirtan, followed by receiving Darshan of Baba Nihal Singh Ji and Jethadar. We had the opportunity to visit the Gurdwara where Guru Nanak is said to have lived with his wife and where his two sons were born.
In the evening, we were provided a beautiful dinner in our tent city and later Chardi Kalaa Jetha played kirtan at the main kirtan tent.
The next day, wake up call was at 3:30am. We walked with the Yatra to Kali Bein to take a holy dip. Afterward, there was an optional kirtan trip, breakfast, and again, we walked to the riverside along with our yatra neighbors, this time to chant, sing and meditate. The night ended late with langar and more kirtan.
This trip was an incredibly enriching experience for our 12th-grade class. Not only did we get to connect with an extended community (the yatra) but also to experience another town in India, where Sikhism is cherished and celebrated. Our knowledge of Sikh history expanded, as did our hearts. And we are all very grateful.
Videos by SikhNet, Pictures by Hana Goodkind
Sultanpur Lodhi
